Will, did you ever have the quintets?

I've never had the KLIPSCH Quintet Microsystem. It's five speakers and a subwoofer. Here's some information on the Microsystem . Currently available for about $330 (subject to change).

[This message has been edited by Will (edited October 21, 2002).]

Will et al,

I have never had a full set of Quintet speakers. I purchased them as surrounds to complement the JBLs and the BIC.

I would not use them as mains. However, as surround speakers, I think they are a reasonable choice.

As for the need to purchase speakers worthy of the Anthem, while I agree that these speakers will be upgraded over time, I must reiterate my initial conclusion. As I have said, even with my current speakers, I can hear the difference between the Anthem and the Outlaw 950. If better speakers would make a greater difference, then the Anthem is even better than I can currently hear with my "limited" speakers.

As for changing their placement to improve the sound, at Kevin's suggestion, I have moved the JBLs forward and placed my subwoofer in the corner. I have not noticed a change, but I will keep listening.

I may purchase an area rug in the future. We'll see.

Regards,
Santa Clara Jim

Will, the reason I asked is because I do own the quintets. I have had very good floorstanding speakers from Klipsch, EPI, Boston, and Paradigm. I have also had good bookshelfs from Pinnacle, Boston, JBL and Advent. My wife wanted small, unobtrusive speakers, so I bought the quintets on Ebay for $300 as a fix until I build my addition to the house. Then I thought some Axioms or Swan Divas would replace them. The little Klipschs, however, amaze me. Placement is critical, but they play very clean and open in my room. The system does not include a sub...if you want one they have a couple of different ones that Klipsch says matches them. I bought an SVS 16-46PCi instead. With the SVS equalized to 120hz using a BFD, and placed towards the center of my front wall, the blend with the Klipschs is very good. Being a fan of equalization to tame room response, I have now added a digital eq to the mains.

On their own, with good placement, the little Klipschs can sound pretty good. By adding the eq, they sound very good, especially for $300 for the 5 of them. Also, my wife was so happy to get her living room floor space back she let me get the SVS, a 950, and an amp.

I guess all I wanted to say is don't knock something you have never owned. These little speakers can sound pretty good.

I'm sure your speakers are actually pretty decent. But, with some setups, it's no longer a case of _almost_ hearing the spit in her mouth. Rather, I'm wiping it off of my face

Which digital EQ are you using?

Willscary,

I'm glad you are able to make those tiny Klipschs sound good after equalizing your sub to 120 hz. I would not ever knock a man who makes home theater accomodations in order to please his wife.

Will

I just bought a Behringer DSP 8024 Ultra Curve Pro. I had read that it is "grainy" and causes a "loss in resolution". My experience over the last few days with it is that it added NO noise or hiss to the signal, and that it made the little speakers jump to attention, giving them a livelier sound than before. I bought the calibration mic and used the "auto eq" feature.

I may be wrong, but after many years of using different equalizers, I am convinced that using one to smooth out a speakers response can make most any fairly good speaker blossom into a very good speaker. Variations in frequency response are responsible for colored sound and muddy bass. An EQ can help with these problems, just ask anyone who uses a Behringer Feedback Destroyer to tame room resonances through their subwoofer, turning boomy, muddy bass into clean, hard hitting bass.

Maybe my setup of speakers and EQ would not be ideal for those who have spent tens of thousands of dollars on their audio electronics, but for us, we were able to maximize sound quality while keeping our smallish living room from looking like a speaker showroom (except, of course, for the SVS ).

I'm also looking at getting 3-4 of the Ultracurves for my system. Any downsides to the device? Can you tell more about how you use it?

Okay, I am creating a thread off of a post that is 22 days old, but I tend to be behind the curve in most aspects of my life. I am just moving into HT from 2 channel sound. While on the waiting list for the 950, I bought (used, separately) a Rotel 985 amp and Rotel 976 pre/pro. I am now nearing the end of my 30 day trial for the 950. You did not state what Rotel pre/pro you were replacing, but I think my listening experience differs from yours.

In my opinion, if one is not listening for detail, the Outlaw sounds better. It creates a larger sound stage and seems to offer better representation over the full frequency range. In particular, I would say the base sounds better on the Outlaw. I think this explains why the Outlaw, in my opinion (plus the opinions of my wife and 3 friends I had over to listen), is clearly superior at reproducing vocals. Compared to the 950, the 796 shounds a shade flat.

The Rotel, on the other hand, offers better detail. Acoustic instruments are better reproduced by the Rotel. Not only are the instruments being played in my presence, but my couch becomes a seat in the sound studio (jazz) or the concert hall (classical). The Outlaw presents the instruments, but not the environment. (Here, again, my wife drew the same conclusion.)

Both processors are new to me, so I do not have the benefit of familiarity with either. Both sound far better than my NAD 7140 (from 1985?) they are replacing. The lack of a clear winner has made deciding between the two difficult. I also do not have the benefit of the full surround sound set up, as I am still working to complete the system. (I only have my NEAR 50Me as the fronts. The center channel speaker arrived earlier this week, but I have not had the chance to set it up.)